Federal unemployment available to storm victims

Hoosiers who lost their jobs, including self-employed workers, because of the spate of violent storms that hit Indiana on March 31 and April 1, can file for federal unemployment. The Indiana Department of Workforce Development is accepting applications for Disaster Unemployment Assistance from individuals in the 12 Indiana counties that were declared major disaster areas by President Biden.

To be eligible for the benefits, individuals must meet certain criteria including:

• Became unemployed, including self-employed individuals, as a direct result of the major disaster.
• Not qualify for regular unemployment insurance benefits from any state;
• Have worked or were self-employed in, or were scheduled to begin work or self-employment in, one of the named counties.
• Establish that the work or self-employment they can no longer perform was their primary source of income.

The deadline to apply is May 22.

The counties that received federal disaster declaration includes Allen, Benton, Clinton, Grant, Howard, Johnson, Lake, Monroe, Morgan, Owen, Sullivan, and White.

More information about the DUA is available by clicking here.